Monday, October 26, 2015

The Wrong Bride by Gayle Callen

The first in a wonderfully engaging
series set in the Scottish Highlands, USA Today bestselling author Gayle Callen
creates an unforgettable story of mistaken identity and irresistible
attraction.

Shaken from sleep during the night,
bundled off to the Highlands by a burly Scot, Riona is at first terrified, then
livid. Hugh McCallum insists they were promised to each other as children to
ensure peace between their clans. The stubborn laird refuses to believe he’s
kidnapped the wrong Catriona Duff. Instead, he embarks on a campaign of
slow-burning seduction…

At first, Hugh cares only what their
marriage can do for his people. Now he’s starting to crave Riona for her own
sake. But her true identity jeopardizes his clan’s contract. And unless she
chooses to risk all to be his bride, he’ll lose the only thing he prizes more
than the lands he’s fought so hard to save-the passionate marriage they could
have together.

From Gayle: This excerpt is the beginning of THE WRONG BRIDE. A good kidnapping scene always sets the stage for all the conflict to come between the hero and heroine! Not that I’m condoning kidnapping… ;)

Riona Duff was startled out of a deep sleep, groggy and uneasy. For a moment she didn’t know where she was. A single candle burned in its holder on the bed table, so she could see the wavering glow of light illuminate the canopied bed and part of the door.
This wasn’t her room. Where was she?
And then she remembered—she wasn’t in London anymore, the city where she’d spent the majority of her life. She’d gone north to York with her uncle’s family while her own parents and sister traveled to the south of France to improve her sister’s fragile health.
Something creaked, and she froze, for it sounded like a door. The one beside her was firmly closed, so that meant—
A large, male hand suddenly covered her mouth.
Riona’s eyes went wide and she screamed, but the sound was muffled. She smelled horses and sweat and her own fear. Though she tried to buck and slide away, she was hampered by the bedclothes, and then the man’s other arm across her body, pinning her down. Her heart seemed to be dancing in her chest, racing with terror and making her light-headed.
“I’ll not harm ye,” he said softly, gruffly.
He spoke with the Scottish accent that still lingered in her father’s speech even after so many years in England.
“Just do as I say,” he continued, “and I’ll free your mouth if ye promise not to scream.”
Her eyes darted frantically about, and though she could see the outline of his shaggy head, the candle was behind him and his face was a mass of shadows. He loomed over her like a mountain, a stranger who’d dared breach her bedroom from the balcony. He could want—anything.
He gave her a little shake that made her squeak with fright.
“Do I have your word, lass?”
Having no choice, she nodded. The hand slid away, but the arm across her body did not, a heavy, threatening weight that made her feel fragile.
“What do you want?” she choked out, her voice trembling. “I’ve nothing of value. They’ll catch you if—”
“Silence.” Though soft, his voice was deep and full of a threatening growl. “Ye’re coming with me.”
He took her by the arm and pulled her upright, her arm like a twig in his massive fist.
“But—where are you taking me?” she demanded, aghast.
Drawing her closer, he gave her another shake. “I’ll answer all your questions later. But not another word from ye until we’re away.”

After a detour through fitness
instructing and computer programming, GAYLE CALLEN found the life she’d always
dreamed of as a romance writer. This USA Today bestselling author has written
more than twenty historical romances for Avon Books, and her novels have won
the Holt Medallion, the Laurel Wreath Award, the Booksellers’ Best Award, and
been translated into eleven different languages. The mother of three grown
children, an avid crafter, singer, and outdoor enthusiast, Gayle lives in
Central New York with her dog Uma and her husband, Jim the Romance Hero. She
also writes contemporary romances as Emma Cane. Visit her website at
www.gaylecallen.com.